Patents

Patent law requires a robust and balanced approach, combining strong protection for patentees with a high-quality examination system designed to produce clear and unambiguous patents. The patent system must continue to promote innovation by existing companies, while also allowing the next generation of inventors to build new products and services. Low-quality patents, coupled with the high cost of defending against frivolous lawsuits, allow patent assertion entities (PAEs) to drain productive businesses of $29 billion a year in legal costs, according to a Bessen and Meurer study.

Recent years have seen a proliferation of PAEs, who acquire vague, low-quality patents and target startups and small businesses with frivolous lawsuits. These suits pressure job-creating enterprises into choosing between settling unmeritorious claims out of court, or facing bankruptcy. PAEs have expanded their range of targets across sectors to include restaurants, retailers, and even end users who purchase consumer electronics products like a scanner.

CCIA supports real patent reforms that include an end to venue abuse and measures to promote high-quality patents. Specific solutions include:

Patent reform legislation, including venue reform and measures to limit abusive litigation by PAEs and protect end users. In particular, venue reform will help mitigate the phenomenon of PAEs bringing lawsuits to the Eastern District of Texas where procedures front load defendants with high court costs, pressuring them to settle lawsuits that the plaintiffs could not ultimately win.

Most Recent Statements & Filings:

Washington - The Computer & Communications Industry Association joined a Supreme Court amicus brief filed Monday evening in a patent case that is being closely watched by the thousands of companies sued every year by those abusing the patent system.
The case will determine whether inter partes [ More ... ]

Washington -- The administration has announced two nominees to fill out the Federal Trade Commission -- DC antitrust attorney Joe Simons to lead the FTC and Rohit Chopra to fill the Democratic slot. President Trump’s spokeswoman confirmed that Senator Cornyn’s chief counsel Noah Phillips is [ More ... ]

Washington -- At a patent event at the National Press Club this week, panelists discussed an uptick in design patent cases since the Apple Samsung design patent ruling by the Supreme Court. CCIA patent counsel Josh Landau, who moderated the panel, noted that a jury had sided with Apple in its [ More ... ]

Washington -- The Computer & Communications Industry Association is pleased to announce it has hired Joshua Landau as patent counsel. Landau will be the lead blogger for CCIA’s Patent Progress, advocate for patent reform and handle CCIA’s regulatory and legal work on patents.
Landau joined [ More ... ]

Washington -- US Patent and Trademark Office Director Michelle Lee will stay on during the next administration, according to news reports.
The Computer & Communications Industry Association has advocated for patent reform for more than two decades. CCIA represents companies that hold patents [ More ... ]

Washington -- The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Tuesday that a lower court made a mistake when it awarded all Samsung’s profits on several smartphone models to Apple based on design patent infringement. The Justices said design patent infringement can impact just a component of a product, not [ More ... ]

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About CCIA

CCIA is an international not-for-profit membership organization dedicated to innovation and enhancing society’s access to information and communications. CCIA promotes open markets, open systems, open networks and full, fair and open competition in the computer, telecommunications and Internet industries.